Responding to false alarms can unnecessarily cost Issaquah – and its taxpayers – thousands of dollars each year. In addition, officers responding to these false alarms are not able to respond to actual emergencies or conduct preventative patrols.

In 2008 alone, the Issaquah police officers responded to 1,035 burglary, robbery or duress alarms. Of those alarms, 99.2 percent were false alarms.

To help reduce false alarms, the Issaquah City Council approved a revisedalarm ordinanceon July 20, 2009, which became effective Aug. 3, 2009.